The tiny California Symphony is 1/25th the size of the Pittsburgh Symphony. But the smaller orchestra has seen the size of its audience and its support explode in the past few years. The growth is based on research and data. So what could an orchestra like the Pittsburgh Symphony learn from the success? – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Category: AUDIENCE
Circulation Rates At College Libraries Are Plummeting – Why Aren’t Students Checking Out Books?
Figures indicate that the number of books checked out at college libraries accross the U.S. has fallen by as much as two-thirds over the last decade, even as use of the library buildings has increased. Northeastern University Dean of Libraries Dan Cohen explains what’s going on. – The Atlantic
A Skeptic Gets Convinced By The Modern ‘Translations’ Of The Play On! Shakespeare Project
Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, an editor on the Norton Shakespeare edition, wasn’t worried about profaning the Bard’s texts; he thought the playwrights were being told to stick too close to the original. When he heard the new versions read aloud, and when he considered the choices the playwrights involved made, he was hugely impressed. – American Theatre
Now Even Established Opera And Ballet Companies In Europe Are Turning To Crowdfunding
The Dutch National Ballet tried it two years ago with a new piece for its junior company, and it worked. English National Opera and Music Theatre Wales have projects they hope to try the tactic with. The Teatro Real in Madrid started its own crowdfunding platform for special projects. Not only can this method of fundraising help to replace shrinking state support, say those involved, it can also reach a whole new public. – Financial Times
Desperate Front-Line Staff At Louvre Declare One-Day Strike
“The Sud Culture Solidaires trade union said in a statement that the Louvre was ‘suffocating’ and staff were being overwhelmed by the number of visitors. … ‘More than 10 million people visited the Louvre in 2018. Although visitor numbers have grown by more than 20 percent since 2009 … staff numbers are falling.'” – Yahoo! (AFP)
Louvre Will Offer Off-Hours Tours At €30 A Head
The stated idea behind the tours is to attract Parisians who avoid the museum because of the massive crowds of tourists. If that’s the case, though, why are the tours being offered through Airbnb? – Hyperallergic
New York’s Signature Theatre Company Sells Its One-Millionth $35 Ticket (Here’s How Its Audience Has Changed)
The off-Broadway theater company is celebrating its one millionth ticket sold through the initiative, and the company says its audience demographics speak to the program’s success. Almost 60% of Signature’s audience members had a two-person household that makes under $100,000 a year. Contrast that to a typical Broadway-goer who comes from a two-person household that makes more than twice that, according to stats from the Broadway League. – Fast Company
…In Which I Try To Convince Jeff Jarvis The Internet Is Bad For Democracy
So what to make of Jeff’s point that it’s too early to judge the impact of the internet—what he calls a “connection machine”—on democracy? It’s an interesting position. Yes, he’s right to compare the historical significance of the digital revolution to Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention of the printing press. And he’s right to underline that the disruptive impact of this technological revolution lasted several centuries. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a judgment now in the early stages of the digital revolution. – LitHub
In Praise Of Attending The Arts By Yourself
When it comes to fun activities done in public – having a drink in a bar, going to the opera – being alone becomes socially loaded. And it runs deep: entire Reddit forums are dedicated to the question of going to the movies alone. – The Guardian
Wild Remote Nature Is Being Ruined By Social Media
With the right hashtag, anyone can view thousands of potential destinations—and choose which to visit based on aesthetics alone. A single social-media post can expose lesser-known or isolated places to the world. And that means good places can no longer hide. – The Walrus